Associated Press

The Bismarck Bobcat plant was shuttered for the day today. Workers were directed to the Bismarck Civic Center early in the morning, where they were told of the news.

"There were a lot of chins hanging on the floor," said Ron Vogel, a welder at the plant for 26 years.

Separate unions represent workers at the Bismarck and Gwinner plants. Vogel said workers laid off earlier at the Gwinner plant will have first shot at the additional jobs there.

"They will get called back first," he said. He estimated only about 10 percent of the workers at the Bismarck plant would transfer to Gwinner.

Officials from the unions did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

"I'm going to have to rely on my wife more, I guess," said Dave Kessel, a welder at the Bismarck plant for 35 years.

Sam Ude he likely would have to sell his home in Bismarck. He said he has worked as a welder at the plant since it opened 35 years ago, as have many of his co-workers.

"We're all in our 50s and we're not hirable," he said.

Among the products the company makes are skid-steer loaders which are compact loaders typically used for smaller construction jobs.

Company spokeswoman Laura Ness Owens said 475 positions at the Bismarck plant will be phased out between October and December. She said about 390 of those positions will be switched to the Gwinner plant.

About 150 engineering, finance, accounts payable and equipment parts jobs at other facilities in Bismarck are unaffected by the plant shutdown, Goldsbury said.

The Gwinner plant is larger and will be able to handle the increased production, Goldsbury said. The building in Bismarck likely will be sold, he said.